Telecaring in home care: making a telephone visit.

Abstract

General Information Home care nurses can use telephone visits to identify the needs of and provide care to patients and caregivers. Implementing effective communication and advanced assessment skills, the nurse can use the telephone as a means to supplement home visits and decrease unnecessary costs of home care services. Consider using the telephone to: • Communicate scheduling issues (eg, let the patient/caregiver know the approximate time and date of the home visit or notify them of a change in the visit schedule) • Verify that the patient will be home and available on the day of the scheduled visit • Assess whether the patient/caregiver has had any medication changes or concerns about medications • Assess whether the patient has any problems with or needs home medical equipment • Assess whether the patient has any home medical supply needs • Assess whether the patient has any clinical concerns or needs. For example: —Respiratory patients should be assessed for potential symptoms of infection (new cough, changes in color or amount of mucus, difficulty breathing, etc.). —Cardiac patients should be assessed for potential symptoms of chest pain, hypotension (frequently a side effect of blood pressure medication), or edema (ask if the patient is experiencing chest pain or dizziness or how much he or she weighed that day). —Diabetic patients should be assessed for self-monitoring of blood glucose (ask what his or her blood glucose was that morning and follow up as needed). —Elderly patients should be assessed for falls or home safety needs. —Home health patients with high-tech equipment (eg, ventilator-dependent patients) should be assessed for equipment needs or concerns about operation/maintenance of that equipment in the home. • Teach patients about changes in treatment, medications, or health care needs • Provide counseling interventions and support for patient, caregiver(s), and family members • Identify patient/caregiver satisfaction with case coordination, multidisciplinary care, and home health agency services